If the calendar hadn’t made it official, the soaring temperatures this week certainly would have; summer has arrived in a literal blaze of glory.

Now, if 100-degree temperatures and suffocating humidity aren’t your thing, then maybe summer isn’t anything to get all worked up about.

But for those who are willing to trade a little perspiration for three months of outdoor fun in the sun, it’s got to be the best time of the year. And call us biased, but short of spending the entire summer on the Outer Banks or some other seaside destination, we think it’s pretty tough to beat all that Suffolk has to offer in the way of summer fun.

If you’re looking for something do in between weekends at the lake or trips down to Nags Head, the next three months are packed with great things to do right here at home.

There are plenty of parks to enjoy, a variety of lakes where you can go fishing, a beautiful river for boating, some of the best golf courses in Hampton Roads and baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts and other sporting venues.

You can spend Independence Day in Eclipse or downtown Suffolk and get an eyeful of fireworks, and every Friday night, there’s a band and room for dancing by the setting sun at TGIF. There are car shows and shrimp feats, cornhole tournaments and golf tournaments.

So slip on your flip-flops and go stock up (somewhere local) on sunscreen and charcoal, because it’s summer in Suffolk, and we hope you safely enjoy all that this community has to offer.